Confronting Christianity with Rebecca McLaughlin

In this episode, Rebecca McLaughlin talks with evangelist and surgeon Sam Chan about why Christmas still matters in an anxious, skeptical world. Drawing on Sam’s book The Missing Piece, they explore how the incarnation meets our deep longing for peace—not by fixing everything, but by God coming near to us in Jesus.Follow Sam:Blog | X | InstagramSign up for weekly emails at...

What does a 4th-century African bishop have to do with smartphones, social media, and AI chatbots? Rebecca sits down with ethicist Autumn Ridenour to explore how Augustine’s famous line, “our hearts are restless until they rest in you,” exposes both the appeal and the danger of our digital lives—from endless scrolling to AI “relationships” and deepfake-fueled distrust.Sign up for weekly emails at...

Therapist and ministry leader Zach Ellis spends his days walking with men tangled up in porn, shame, and unwanted sexual behavior. In this episode, Zach and Rebecca talk about lust as both sin and sign, how trauma fractures us, and why the opposite of addiction isn’t willpower but connection—being truly known by God and his people. If you’ve ever wondered whether your sexual history puts you...

Christine walks through 2 Corinthians, Paul’s deeply personal letter about weakness, suffering, and the upside-down way of Jesus. She shares honestly about writing her new Bible study, More Than Enough: An 8-Week Study of 2 Corinthians, while her 20-year-old son was undergoing treatment for cancer.Get the Book:More Than Enough: An 8-Week Study of 2 CorinthiansFollow Christine:Instagram |...

Portia Collins is a Bible teacher, author, and speaker from the Mississippi Delta. She’s the author of Finding Freedom in Christ: An 8-Week Study in Galatians, founder of She Shall Be Called, and serves on staff with Revive Our Hearts. Portia is passionate about helping women grow in Bible literacy and embrace the true freedom found in Jesus.Get the Book:Finding Freedom in Christ: An 8-Week Study...

Rebecca and theologian Dani Treweek explore why the Bible calls both marriage and singleness meaningful gifts — and how rediscovering the purpose of singleness can strengthen the whole church.Get the book:Single Ever AfterA Biblical Vision for the Significance of SinglenessFollow Dani:Instagram | WebsiteSign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/SubscribeFollow Us on Instagram and...

Can Christians enjoy stories with “magic”? Marian Jacobs and Rebecca unpack how fantasy can train us to love Jesus and discern the occult—using a simple rubric rooted in Scripture and the self-giving love at the heart of the gospel.Get the book:On Magic & Miracles: A Theological Guide to Discerning Fictional MagicFollow Marian:Instagram | WebsiteSign up for weekly emails at...

Harvard-backed research says weekly churchgoing lowers depression, boosts health, and lengthens life — and Rebecca explains why those benefits point beyond “religion” to Jesus, the church as true family, and the hope Gen Z is rediscovering.Get the book:“How Church Could Literally Save Your Life” (Crossway)Check out Collin's Podcast:GospelboundSign up for weekly emails at...

Rebecca and J.D. Greear explore how Christians can transcend the culture war by leading with grace and truth, loving hard-to-love neighbors, keeping politics downstream of discipleship, and holding fast to the gospel with joyful confidence.Resources Mentioned:J.D.'s WebsiteSummit ChurchEveryday Revolutionary: How to Transcend the Culture War and Transform the WorldSign up for weekly emails at...

How can anxiety become a doorway to deeper faith? Blair Linne joins Rebecca to discuss her new book Made to Tremble: How Anxiety Became the Best Thing That Ever Happened to My Faith. She recounts the accident that led to panic attacks, unpacks natural / sinful / religious fear, and shows how Scripture’s “do not fear” is an invitation to rest in God’s presence.Resources Mentioned:Made to Tremble –...